When marketers use “luxury” to describe convenience or most technology, they dilute its definition. To us, and to everyone ushered by black car each night in Manhattan, OnStar operators and blind-spot sensors are not worldly indulgences. So it’s welcome to see BMW revisit the dictionary and plaster the word on a voluptuous, fat-cat sedan that makes its owner’s net worth patently obvious. READ MORE ››

Bugatti brings “Black Bess” back from the abyss for Beijing (say that 10 times fast). Who’s Black Bess? A 100-year-old Bugatti Type 18 roadster—one of seven built—owned by French aviator Roland Garros and powered by a 100-PS inline four-cylinder said to be capable of achieving speeds of over 100 mph, which was unheard of at the time. It is also the inspiration for Bugatti’s latest, and perhaps tackiest, Veyron 16:4 Grand Sport Vitesse–based “Les Légendes de Bugatti” creation: the Black Bess, which Bugatti is showing for the first time at the 2014 Beijing auto show. READ MORE ››

For the first time in its nearly 100-year history, Lincoln is packing its bags and debuting a concept car abroad. The MKX you see here previews the brand’s next-generation mid-size crossover, and it’s being revealed at the 2014 Beijing auto show. The reason for the move is that Lincoln’s hoping to expand its global footprint—although for now, “global” means only China and North America—and is in the midst of a revitalization process that parent company Ford is hoping will be as successful as its own decade-long return to form. READ MORE ››

VW premiered the Golf R 400 Concept at the Beijing auto show, and here’s why it’s awesome: Powered by a 2.0-liter, turbocharged EA888 engine tweaked to produce 395 horsepower, it can reach 62 mph in 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 174 mph. Here’s why it’s double awesome: It’s going to be built, the confirmation of which we received directly from VW research and development chief Heinz-Jakob Neusser. READ MORE ››